Picture frame and method of producing the same



Nov. 16 1926. 1,606,863

F. ZIMMERMAN. JR

PICTURE FRAME AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME Filed Feb. 1924 2 sheeis-sheet 1 2 iZ L YR zu ZIMMERMAH JR.

Nov. 16,1926.

F. ZIMMERMAN, JR

PICTURE FRA E AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME Filed Feb. 2, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i ulllll i 1 llll "In"!!! 8 wbezwbom (FRED ZIMMERMAH JR.

35 M LMJt/P' G from" 04 8 Patented 16,

UNITED stares FRED ZIMIVIERMAN JR., OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

PICTURE FRAME AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME,

Application filed February 2. 1924. Serial No. 680,326.

joints or miters are embellished andorna mented in a simple and inexpensive way in exact simulation of any desired'artistic design carved or tooled in intaglio and relief.

A hand carved or tooled frame possesses inherent ornamental qualities and a richness of appearance exceedingly difficult to duplicate in an inexpensive way in main ufacturing' wooden picture frames in a large commercial way Close simulations to carve or tool frames have been produced but in creating such frames the joints and miters present certain obsta cles to the production of good and accurate reproductions of artistic. designs in intaglio and relief except at com paratively high or prohibitory costs. One common method is to produce a desired'design in a straight piece of molding and then join or miter sections of .this molding together in making a picture frame, and in so doing the cut portions of the, design must be carefully cut and skillfully matched at a high cost of labor and with loss or waste of materials, and moreover, many desirable and attractive designs cannot be cut and matched in that way for quantity reproduction. Another old method in genera-l use involves the joining or mitering of separate pieces of prepared molding into a picture frame and the application of separate embossed pieces made of plastic substances or other materials to cover and conceal the joints. Such added pieces build up the frame and make it thicker or high at the joint, or if a hollow relief effect is desired the body of the frame at the joint must be made thinner and weaker. In this connection it must be understood that a given size, style or pattern of a picture frame may demand a molding of very small cross section which will not permit a material reduction or removal of the stock at the joint and a perfect or exact simulation of deep carving or tooling by the common methods described. Many other conditions and requirements must be met which make it difficult or expensive to produce satisfactory ornamental patterns and designs in in taglio or hollow relief in the wood itself across the joints or miters without weakening or distorting the same, but my presentmethod permits an endless variety of bold and beautiful patterns or designs to be made in intaglio or hollow relief in the molding itself at and across the joints or miters after the molding sections have been united, without injury to the same and with minimum of expense and in a single rapid operation, all as hereinafter shown and de scribed and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,'Fig. l is a sectional'view of a partof a hot press used in practicing my method of producing ornamental picture frames. Fig. 2 is a top view ofthe bed plate or platen of the press with a mitered part of a picture frame in place thereon to receive an impression. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the mitered joint of the picture frame on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing the burning die in action. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of an angular burning die. Fig. 5 is an elevation. of one corner of a picture frame embellished across its mitered joint according to my invention, and Figure 6 is a cross section thereof on line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an elevation of mitered corner showing a difierent pattern or design, and Figure 8 is a cross section and edge elevation of this modified form of frame on line 88 of Figure 7. v

In producing a picture frame according to my invention, a rabbeted strip of wood of any desired patternor shape in cross section is cut into given lengths and 131'6f61- ably with ainitered cut topermit the pieces to be matched together on a line bisecting the angle of junction. The molding may be plain, or it may possess an embossed or ornamented surface. To obtain the latter, I may produce a stippled or corrugated or other irregular pattern on the front face of a plain moldin by feeding a straight strip of wood mol ing between two rotary dies or wheels heated toa burning temperature to efiect burning and an impression of the desired design in the face of the wood. This facial embellishment or orna mentationmay then be changed or altered in part by the succeeding steps hereinafter described to produce a pleasing and attractive composite design or pattern, especially at the mitered corners of the frame.

Thus in carrying on the method, the cut pieces of molding, whether plain or ornai'igiented, are nailed and glued together to pro duce a complete picture frame, for example a square or rectangular open frame in which each corner is mitered and. permai' ently united together. The joining of such mitered frames is a hand operation. carried on in' 7 distinctive and pleasing picture frames are produced by carving or tooling suitable designs in intaglio or hollow relief upon the front of themitered corners. This is a slow and GXPGIISIVG operation, and in lleu thereof I simulate such carvings bysubjecting the mitered corners to heat and pressure, applying both concurrently across tl'ie-mitered joint without injuring-the completed joint, and in so doing also obliterate orconceal the line of union, and: also correct or. remove any imperfections made in joining the parts together, all in a single simpl'e operation.

Thus, as a preliminary, I make a-fiat metal die of angular shape corresponding to the angular corner of the mitered frame F, the working face of' the die being formed on lines conforming in the maintothe profile of the molding tobe treatedtand having sharply cut ridges, teeth, points, etc., therein forming prominent oressential: relief portionsii'which may be of any desired de sign or pattern, wherewith an impression may be made to give the desired inta'glioor carved effect in the molding.

However, the molding is made Off wood, which may split easily, andthe moldings also vary in shape and form and have sharply defined corners; itllCll inimany. instances the molding is thin, small in cross section, and fragile. Moreover, the design or pattern to be produced also intended" to include and span the finished mitered joint, which of course-mustnot he riyen asunder, d'estroyed' or impaired; '1herefore,- in-usingdie 2, I at tach the same to the bottom:v plate- 4 of a reciproca-b'le plunger: or piston- 5 of a power operated press, and heat the plate 4 and die 2 throughout operations-by means of a gas burner 6 or by any otherwsuitable heating device orelementficapableof; keeping'the sharp pointsor relief portions 301? the die .at an even temperature whereby burning or charring of the wood may be rapidly effected as pressure is applied and the die is forced downward upon the molding. In this operation the mitered corner offrame 1* is seated fiat upon the bed plate 6 of the press .im mediately-beneath and in register with the angular die 2 and held within an angular pocket formed by a centeringstop and backing plate 7 fixed to bed plate 6. The two pieces of molding are backed at their outer edges by the straight inner edges 8 of centering plate 7', so that the mitered or joint line 9 between the two piecesof molding can not open under the pressure of the die from above. 7 Furthermore,the mitered joint can not spreadapart or open because the design or pattern comprises complementary sharp relief portions 3 in the die on opposite sides of the mitered line which act together to lock the two mitered' pieces in definitely fixed relation from the beginning to the end of the con'ibined burning and impressing operation. The die HIOVQS slowly or at a pace inheepingwith the burning operation, and does notstop necessarily when the full profile of the molding is engaged by the major surface; of the die cavity; that is, it may and in some patterns or designs is designed to carry on and burn and impress itself'deeper into the wood 'until a: inarhed intaglio. effect involying the entire corner surface of theframe is produced. The operationconsumes only a. few seconds, nd the upward movement of the die instantly separates the die from the molding. The forming of the desired pattern across the Initered joint is now finished, leaving the joint itself in the sameperfect state of union as at the beginning. The same operation is then, repeated on the remaining. corners of the picture frame, whereupon any desired painting, coating,gildin or other finishing step may be taken. Thedorowned or burned surfaces produced by the die are of superficial depth, but are completely covered and concealed: by. the-materials: applied: in finishing and 'd'ecorating. The finished product possesses all thecharacteristics and: the same attractiyenessof appearance as the morecxpensive hand carved or: tooled: frames when coated, gildeda and finished, but the workuis expedited, labor. is lessened, the cost greatly reduced, and the finest: .designsvand patterns may be reproduced perfectly on an extensive commercialscale. In Fig. 2, two nailed mitered piecesare shown seated within the angle plate .7 but-t-hese'pieces may be placed in mitered abutting-relation within the angle and subjected to the pressure and heat of the ornamenting die andf subsequently nailed or glued together, if desired. Thus, in either caseif. the separate mitered pieces do not; match: exactly in profile at: their abutting edges thehotiinpression of the'die will correct any fault and make a perfectly matched profile, across the joint along the entire line of union.

\Vhat I regard as my invention and discovery, and desire to claim, is:

1. A method of producing ornamental picture frames, consisting in joining separate pieces of picture molding, and subsequently pressing an ornamenting die heated to a burning temperature across the joint and into the surface of the frame with equal pressure at each side of the joint until a pattern in hollow relief is produced.

2. A method of ornamenting a jointed picture frame, consi ting in placing an ornamenting die in a spanning position across a joint in the frame; in heating the die to a burning temperature; and in pressing the heated die into the face of the frame with equal pressure at opposite sides of the joint simultaneously.

3. A method of ornamenting a mitered picture frame, consisting in placing separate pieces of picture molding in mitered relation, and then forming an ornamental impression in the face of the frame across the miter joint by the simultaneous application i n L OI heat and pressure, the pressure being applied equally at each side of the joint While the mitered pieces are being rigidly held from spreading apart.

f. A method of ornamenting a mitered picture frame, consisting in placing an angular die upon the corner portions of the mitered picture frame and pressing said die into the face of the frame across the mitered joint under a burning temperature, the duration of application of pressure and heat being limited to burn the surface engaged to only a superficial depth.

5. A method of producing an angular picture frame, consisting in arranging separate )iQCGS of picture molding in mitered union; in placing the mitered corners of the frame in register with an angular ornamenting die;

heating the die; and in pressing the heated die into the surface of the frame at each side of the mitered joint and including the joint until an ornamental pattern in hollow relief is obtained, the lines of pressure being directed to lock the two mitered pieces in definitely fixed relation from the beginning to the end of the burning and impressing operation.

6. A methodof producing an angular picture frame, consisting in mitering separate pieces of picture molding and abutting the same together; in placing a mitered corner of the frame Within an angular backing member in register with an angular die; in heating said die to a burning temperature; and in pressing the heated diev against the face of the mitered corner of the frame and the mitered joint until the ornamental pattern of the die is reproduced thereimwhile preventing lateral movement and spreading apart of the mitered pieces by said angular backing member.

In testimony Wnereof I affix my signa ture.

FRED ZIMMERMAN, JR; 

